4Home workers end redundancy protest

Staff at a DIY superstore in Mitchelstown in Co Cork ended their sit-in protest last night.

It follows a decision by the management of 4Home to enter talks with unions on Monday on a revised severance deal after the Labour Relations Commission intervened.

The 16 workers began a sit-in protest on Thursday after they were told the store would close tomorrow and that they would only receive statutory redundancy despite many of them working there for more than 25 years.

The store is now expected to open as normal tomorrow and management and staff will hold talks on a revised severance package on Monday.

If the discussions on Monday fail, the Labour Relations Commission has also made itself available for talks from Tuesday.

Lorraine O Brien from Mandate told Cork's Red FM that workers felt they had no choice but to stage the protest.